Boat lowering and hoisting device



(No Model.)

-L. J. M. BOYD.

BOAT LOWERING AND HOISTING DEVICE.

Patented De c. 20,1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

L. JAMES M. BOYD, OF 'ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.

BOAT LOWERING AND HOISTING DEVIQE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,929, dated December 20. 1887.

Application filed October 19, 1887.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. JAMES M. BOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Annapolis, in the county of Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat Lowering and Hoisting Devices, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a boat having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the castings, showing a portion of the same broken away to reveal the dog and trip-lever. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the lever and connecting-rod forreleasing the links from engagement with the pivoted dog.

My invention relates to means applied to small boats,whereby said boats may be released from the usual davits with great rapidity, ease, and safety, and be automatically connected with the hoisting devices when it is desired to raise the boat from the water; and my invention consists in the peculiar constructions and combinations of devices, which Ishall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now describe its construction and indicate the way of carrying the same out.

In the said drawings, VVrepresents aboat-,such as a gig or other small row-boat, having the usual cockpit, w, and seatmfor the cock'swain. This boat is suspended from the davits of the vessel by the usual falls or other hoisting medium, having loops, rings, or equivalent means for engaging the boat, said boat being provided with devices for automatically engaging the loops or rings, and for releasing the same when the boat is lowered to or within a suitable distance of the water, as I shall hereinafter disclose.

To make my invention more manifest I will now refer to Figs. 1 and 2, wherein- A represents suitable flanged hollow castings secured to the bow and stern posts or to other timbersin the ends of the boat. These castings are provided with hooked portions a, which form recesses b, and in conjunction with a lug, a, in a pivoted dog, 13, between the sides the dog B bears.

0f the casting, furnish means for receiving and securel holdin the loops or rin s y b a The dog B,

and thereby suspending the boat.

as previously stated, is placed between the walls of the castings and pivotally hung upon a bolt passing transversely through the latter, so that its short arm 'or lug c, which pro ects inwardly, will lie over and close the entrance to the recess 1), as shown.

In the lower part and between the sides of the casting ispivoted, upon a pin or bolt, e, an angular trip lever or arm 0, having a notch or shoulder, f, against which the lower edge of Thus it will be seen that when the boat is suspended the weight,acting upon the short arm or lug c,willforce the lower end of the dog tightly against the hooked end of the trip lever or arm, in which position 1t is securely held until said lever is released by the means which I will now describe. The lower end of one of the trip levers or arms 0 (preferably the one in the casting at the stern of the boat) is connected with a rod, E, whose opposite end is attached to a centrally-pivoted plate or bar, D, in the bottom of the boat. Another rod, E, connected with the trip-lever in the opposite casting, extends toward the stern and is attached to the plate D or bar opposite to the rod E.

The rod or stem F, upon which the plate or bar D is fixed, is mounted in bearingsg and h and extends upward into the cockpit, where its end is bent at right angles to form ahandle or lever, H, by which the several connecting parts may be operated to secure the simultaneous releasing of the holding devices at both the bow and stern. The lever II is adapted to be passed into a slotted casting, I, and retained in alocked position by a pin, j, passing through the hole in the casting.

From this description it will be seen thatin lowering the boat the lever H is secured, the dogs B and trip-levers G assuming the positions indicated in Fig. 2. When it is desired to release the boat from the falls, the cockswain or other person releases the lever H and draws thesame outward. This movement,operating on the rods E and E, trips the levers 0, thereposition to be automatically coupled with the usual connecting loops or rings. These latter are guided so that they strike against the curved upper face of the short arms or lugs c of the dogs, and cause said dogs to yield and permit the coupling device to enter the recess 1), after which the dogs spring forward to secure said device.

There may be times, as when the current is swift, that but one end of the boat should be detached from the falls. Otherwise the current might swamp the boat. Therefore I form in the sides of the castingsA and the body of the dogs B a hole, L, through which a pin, M,may be readily passed to hold the dog and coupling device at one end of the boat in a locked po sition, while the same elenien is at the other end are unlocked and released. This operation causes one end of the boat to fall into the water and settle or swing around in the course of the current before the other end is released. As soon as the latter object has been accomplished, the locking-pin M is withdrawn and the other end of the boat released. To impart a more positive movement to the dogs, I secure in the castings A, by a threaded shank, r, a spring-plate, s, which is designed to bear against the top of the dog to return said dog toits normal position after being released by the triplever.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The castings A, provided with the recess 12, and the dogs B, pivoted within said castings and having a curved short arm closing the entrance to said recess, said dog automatically yielding to permit the passage of a coupling device to said recess, in combination with pivoted trip-levers for releasing the dog, and means operated from the stern of the boat for releasing the trip-levers, substantially as herein'described.

2. The castings at the bow and stern, the coupling-dogs and trip-levers therein,and the releasinglever and rods, in combination with a spring bearing upon the dog, havingathreaded shank secured in the casting, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

L. JAMES M. BOYD.

\Vitnesses:

S. F. RAWLINGS, O. A. ORANDALL. 

